I can’t believe it has been 25 years!

I had just graduated from college in May of 2001 and was still looking for a job. That morning, I was asleep at my parents’ house when my girlfriend at the time, now my wife, called to ask if I had heard anything about a plane crashing into a building. I told her no and immediately turned on the TV.

Smoke was pouring out of the upper floors of the North Tower. I watched as the news anchors tried to make sense of what had just happened. Was it a small plane? A terrible accident? Nobody knew yet.

Then, a little while later, a second plane came in low and hit the South Tower.

That is when everything changed. The first one could have been an accident. The second one meant we were under attack. That was the feeling, collectively, from what I remember. I think the country’s innocence, as we knew it, ended that morning.

My wife was working at a local mall and could not watch the news, but the rumors were rolling in. I tried to keep her posted as best I could, and it got scarier as the hours went by. Everyone was panicking. Someone even called in a bomb threat to the mall, and the whole place was evacuated. I remember being on the phone with her and hearing people crying behind her. One of her coworkers was hysterical, saying over and over that she just needed to go home.

Later, the horror kept coming when a third plane hit the Pentagon. Then, a fourth plane went down in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after the passengers fought back. Both towers collapsed, one after the other.

All I saw was mayhem on the news, and I could not peel myself away from it. I was not looking forward to any of it, but I felt like I had to watch. Young me felt I had been handed the job of keeping everyone informed, and I took it seriously. As if I were the guardian of the day’s events, and if I walked away, we would miss something. Of course, that is far from reality, but it was the only thing I felt I could do.

I watched for hours on end until I finally got so fatigued with seeing those planes hit those towers over and over that I had to stop. I turned the television off and forced myself to just sit in silence and process my thoughts.

Twenty-five years later, I still cannot watch that footage without feeling like I am a young man again, standing in my bedroom at my parents’ house with the remote in my hand.

Where were you on September 11, 2001? What do you remember like it was yesterday?

#September11 #NeverForget

I’ve reached the stage in my career where former students and their parents are reaching out to ask for letters of recommendation. I just wrote one this morning, and I couldn’t be happier to do it. It brings me true joy to see these young people growing up, doing the right thing, and bettering themselves in every way possible. I’m proud to have played even a small part in their lives.

I’d like to believe I made enough of an impact that they look back years later and remember me. It is an honor that they trust me to write on their behalf. Teaching these days might not carry the prestige it once did, but moments like these make me grateful for the opportunity to educate the next generation. I love being able to help them, whenever possible, and wish them nothing but success.

#Education #Gratitude

One day, out of the blue, I decided to start a blog… this blog… using Micro.blog. At first, I was super excited to post just about anything. Then I tried to make it more formal and managed to sustain a streak of over 100 days without skipping a beat.

Towards the end, though, I felt a bit stressed. It felt like I had to post something, even if I wasn’t feeling up to it. Honestly, it started to feel like a chore. It bothered me because I truly enjoy writing and posting.

I finally decided it was okay to miss a day after I was forced to skip one due to a power outage. One day turned into three. Now I’m okay posting whenever I really have something to say, rather than hunting for content just to hit publish.

Apparently, I’m not the only one who feels this way. I found an article by Matt Webb that discusses 15 different rules he came up with for his personal blog. Although most of his rules are excellent, some resonated with me more than others. I recommend you check out his whole article and keep reading to see what stood out for me.

• Three posts a week, more or less.
• One idea per post.
• If I’m getting in a twist about a sentence, take it out.
• Give up on saying anything new.
• Give up on trying to be popular.
• Give up on trying to be interesting… just say what I think about whatever I’m thinking about.
• Only write what’s in my head at that exact moment. It’s 10x faster.
• If it’s taking too long to write, stop.
• Don’t use a post just to link to something elsewhere. If there’s a point to make, start with that.
• Titles should be descriptive and have the flavour of the post. And rewrite the lede once the post is done so the whole thing gets to the point faster.
• It’s okay not to blog if it feels like a chore.

I plan to follow these rules in whole or in part to make my blog more authentic and compelling to read, while keeping it fun for myself.

#Blogging #Writing #MicroBlog

Yesterday, for the first time in over three months, I didn’t post on my blog. First, it was Thanksgiving, so we were having a great time with family, enjoying each other’s company and sharing stories back and forth. A good time was had by all. Afterwards, once everybody was full and happy and headed home, we started settling down. Then the storm hit.

It was unusual to get rain, thunder, and lots of wind here on Thanksgiving Day. Maybe it’s common, but I can’t remember any other Thanksgiving where that happened. As if that wasn’t enough, after it slowed down and virtually stopped, the power went out. In fact, according to our power company, about 6,000 people in the area lost power, and at the time we checked, they had no idea why.

Without power, I couldn’t post. But that’s not why I’m writing this. Not to tell you about the unusual storm or that the power went out, but what we decided to do when it happened.

We had to take our dog Vader out for a walk, so we grabbed some flashlights and headed outside. At first, it was because we had no choice. Vader had to walk. Then our kids decided they wanted to join us, so all four of us went out together. It turned into a little adventure.

We were seeing things in our neighborhood we hadn’t seen before. Yes, it was pitch black, which was rare because there are always lights around. But what I’m talking about is the contrast: light pollution glowing on the east side of our neighborhood while the west side was basically pitch black, where you could see stars and celestial bodies we normally don’t see. The moon looked like a flashlight beaming down on us, so clear it almost looked fake.

We weren’t the only ones either. We saw a bunch of people walking around at almost midnight with their little flashlights, just taking it slow, looking around and looking up at the sky like we were.

Yeah, the power went out, and all our comforts of life went with it. But it was amazing. We actually got to slow down, cut out all that noise, and amplify the signal that’s always around us.

No, I’m not saying I wish the power went out more often, but I do wish we took more time together and made the best of our situation, no matter what it is. Last night was a good reminder of that, and I’m thankful for it. It truly was a great Thanksgiving.

You know you have chosen the right company (and community) when they make it easy for you to take your data with you, should you ever decide to move on from their platform. I am so happy at Micro.blog that I don’t foresee leaving anytime soon, but is refreshing to know that they got my back.

I thank @Manton and the rest of his team for making this little corner of the web so special. Please keep up the good work. We love you guys and appreciate you.

The Last 5 Pennies Ever Made Have a Special Mark and Could Sell for Big Bucks

The US Mint brought more than two centuries of penny production to a close last week

In case you missed it, the US Mint will no longer make any more pennies. First minted in 1793 and changed to the design we’re most familiar with in 1809, the penny has officially reached the end of its production run. However, there are about 300 million still in circulation. The last five pennies ever minted will feature a special omega symbol on them. Unfortunately, they won’t be released into circulation by the Philadelphia mint. Instead, they’ll be auctioned off. Some experts say they may go for tens of thousands of dollars, while others are claiming they’ll probably fetch anywhere from $2 million to $5 million per coin.

Funny that I came across this CNET article (linked above) because my wife and I were talking about exactly this on the way home today. I told her I was a little sad to see the penny come to an end because it’s always been around. Now that they’re not being made anymore, I’m sure we’ll all try to keep whatever pennies come across our path from now on. Maybe people will even stop, bend down, and pick up a penny or two from now on. Maybe people won’t even throw them in those fountains at the mall to make a wish?

Once again, I had the pleasure of attending a marching band competition. Like previous times, I was amazed by the talent these high school students display. Not only are they exceptional musicians playing some of the best music you’ll ever hear, but they also possess a level of coordination and synchronization that’s second to none.

Even though today was the first competition of the year, they’ve been working tirelessly for months, perfecting their craft. Their dedication and relentless drive is a characteristic I wish I saw in more people.

If these are our leaders of tomorrow, our future looks bright!

Below is a tiny glimpse of what you can expect to see at one of these competitions. I strongly recommend you check one out at some point in your life. You won’t be disappointed.

No matter how you feel about Steve Jobs, he was clearly an intelligent and focused individual. While he admitted he wasn’t great at everything, he excelled at two things: telling it like it was and delivering on what he set out to do.

Here’s the good news: we can do this too. It starts with focus and knowing when to ask for help.

It’s officially been fall for a few days now, but today is the first day it actually feels like Fall around here. We started decorating for Halloween and wanted something cool, so we 3D-printed this ghost. I think it turned out pretty awesome.

The rest of the house is now filled with pumpkins and little lights, plus a mix of spiders and other Halloween and fall decorations. It makes things more fun around here. I love it, and so does the rest of the family.

The beloved ice bream shop served Miami for 20 years. Now, it’s closing.

Wall’s is known not only for its sundaes and seasonal flavors like eggnog and mango but also its homemade fudge. It’s also the place where legions of ice cream lovers took the Great Wall challenge, stuffing down the Great Wall, with 12 scoops of ice cream, brownies, bananas, four toppings and whipped cream. Photos of the proud few who finish made the Wall of Fame.

Today feels like we are saying goodbye to an old friend. It’s always sad to see your favorite places close down after decades of service. My family and I will definitely miss Walls Old-Fashioned Ice Cream shop. We would visit The Big Cheese for some great pizza and football fun, then cross the street for the best ice cream in town at Walls.

My wife and I first started going to Walls during our college days and continued after graduating and starting our careers. We passed on the tradition to our kids, who are also saddened to see Walls close their doors. We definitely had lots of fun and made great memories there. We wish them the best.

Luckily, my wife stopped by today, their last day at their original location, and took a picture to help us remember it.